Triangular shaped container and associated container blank

ABSTRACT

The present invention includes a blank and container formed of cellulose-based materials configured to form a triangular shaped container. The container includes a triangular shaped bottom panel, side walls and a rear wall that define a first triangular volume. The top panel and second side panels generally form a second triangular volume that is slightly larger than the first triangular volume. The second triangular volume is configured to fold over the first triangular volume such that the top panel and second side panels fully enclose the bottom panel and the first side panels. The container is locked by a friction fit between juxtaposed tabs inserted into a slot located between the ends of the intersecting first side panels.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to blanks and the resulting containers and more specifically to blanks resulting in containers that are triangular in shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the present invention are best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, various features of the drawings are not to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Included are the drawings for the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a single piece of container blank formed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partially assembled container blank depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of a more fully assembled container formed from the container blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is yet another perspective view of a further assembled container formed from the container blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is yet another perspective view of a further assembled container formed from the container blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an assembled container resulting from the erection of the blank of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of container blank and resulting container.

DESCRIPTION

Various aspects of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is directed to a blank 20 and container 40 that are designed to hold triangular shaped objects, such as, without limitation, individual pizza or pie/cake slices or objects wherein a triangular shaped container is desired. One suitable embodiment of the blank 20 and container 40, constructed in accordance with aspects of the present invention, is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6. An additional embodiment is depicted in FIG. 7. Specific details of the blank 20 and the resulting container 40 are described in more particularity below.

FIG. 1 depicts a blank 20 used to form the container 40. The blank 20 is typically constructed from a single piece of formable material such as, without limitation, sheets of cellulose-based material formed from cellulose material such as pulp, straw, cotton, bagasse or the like. Cellulose-based materials used in the present invention come in many forms, such as fiberboard, containerboard, corrugated containerboard and paperboard. The blank 20 is cut, scored, perforated or otherwise formed into a plurality of panels that, when assembled, form container 40. In all FIGURES, like numbers indicate like parts. Additionally, cut lines are shown as solid lines, score lines as dashed and lines of perforation as broken lines. For the purposes of further description herein, the downward direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the bottom panel 22 that corresponds to the outer surface of panel 22 when the container 40 has been erected. The upward direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the bottom panel 22 which corresponds to any inner surface of the bottom panel 22 when the container 40 has been erected.

Referring to FIG. 1, the blank 20 includes a bottom panel 22. The bottom panel 22 is generally triangular and defined at its outer perimeter by fold lines 23 and 21. Hingedly connected to the bottom panel 22 along fold lines 23 are first side panels 28. In one particular embodiment, corner tabs 30 are connected to the first side panels 28 along a fold line 29. Rear panel 24 is hingedly connected to the bottom panel 22 along a fold line 21.

A top panel 26 is connected to the rear panel 24 along a fold line 25. Fold line 25 and fold line 21 are substantially parallel to one another and are separate from one another by the width of the rear panel 24 measured in a line perpendicular to fold lines 21 and 25. Panel 26 is substantially similar to bottom panel 22 in overall geometry. The top panel 26 is bounded by fold lines 25 along the rear panel, and intersecting fold lines 27. Second side panels 32 are hingedy connected to the top panel 26 along the fold lines 27.

Each second side panel 32 is hingedly attached to a tab 34 along fold line 31. Each of the tabs 34 are hingedly connected to one another along a bellow folds line 32.

FIGS. 2 through 6 depict various stages of the container 40 being erected from the blank 20. Specifically, tabs 34 are pushed inwardly with respect to one another along bellow folds line 32. The tabs 34 are pushed together such that the tabs 34 are juxtaposed one another. By pushing on the tabs 34 as disclosed, the second side panels 32 are folded upwardly along fold lines 27. At this stage, the top half of the container 40 is substantially formed.

Corner tabs 30 are folded approximately 90 degrees along fold lines 29. Further, first side panels 28 are folded approximately 90 degrees along fold lines 23. First side panels 28 and corner tabs 30 define the general lower half of the container 40.

Top panel 26 may then be folded such that top panel 26 and rear panel 24 are folded upwardly along fold line 21. Top panel 26 and second side panels 32 may then be folded along fold lines 25 to complete the closing of the container 40.

The respective upper and lower portions of the container 40 are held in a “locked” arrangement by the insertion of the juxtaposed tabs 34 into a slot 38 formed at the intersection of the respective first side panels 28.

FIG. 7 depicts the final container 40 in its closed form.

With specific reference to FIG. 8, an alternative embodiment is disclosed. In this particular embodiment, the corner tabs 30 are hingedly connected to an end of the second side panels 32 rather than the first side panels 28, as depicted above. The erection of the container is substantially the same as discussed above, and as such will not be discussed in detail herein.

In all embodiments, any variety of vents or slots may be included or excluded without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Likewise, a variety of other additional features such as grease barriers may also be included. For example, a quick opening slot 36 is disclosed near the tabs 34.

It will also be appreciated that throughout this application, the terms “top” and “bottom” have been used to refer to the various triangular panels. These terms are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, as the container 40 may be used with either triangular panel being used a top or a bottom.

The various embodiments disclose a triangular container that may be used with any product wherein a triangular shaped container is desired. Suitable, non limiting examples of such situations include individual pizza and pie slices.

While various embodiments of this invention have been illustrated and described as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the various embodiments. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by the reference to the claims that follow. 

1. A single sheet of foldable material cut and scored to define a container, comprising: a triangular shaped bottom panel; a pair of first side panels connected with the triangular shaped bottom panel along a pair of first fold lines; a rear panel connected with the triangular shaped bottom panel along a second fold line; a triangular shaped top panel connected with the rear panel, opposite the triangular shaped bottom panel; a pair of second side panels connected with the triangular shaped top panel along a pair of third fold lines; and, a pair of tabs connected to each other via a fourth fold line, one of tab of said pair of tabs being connected with one of the top second side panels via a fifth fold line, the other one of said pair of tabs being connected with the other top second side panel via a sixth fold line; wherein the pair of tabs are juxtaposed one another while being spaced a distance from their respective second side panel.
 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the single sheet of foldable material is formed from a cellulose-based material.
 3. The container of claim 1, wherein the cellulose based material is formed from at least one of a wood pulp, straw, cotton, and bagasse.
 4. The container of claim blank 1, wherein the cellulose based material is in the form of at least one of a fiberboard, containerboard, corrugated containerboard and paperboard. 